things.

Saints vs. Lions
Victory #5 was against against the Lions. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be at the game since I was in Atlanta. I can't wait to see the game film. I heard there was some good things that happened in the game developmentally speaking.

LAST GAME - Saints vs. Rams
HUGE game against the thus-far-undefeated Rams. They came into the game 7 & 0, while we came in 5 & 2. They were a very big team with some very good running backs. All 4 of their RBs were capable of running hard in the middle as well as getting around the ends with good speed. Their offense was very sophisticated with a lot of misdirection as well as some "student-body-sweeps" where they'd have the QB keep the ball & lead with the remaining RBs. They had some linemen that were big, strong & agile. Terry made some great adjustments on the D-Line, linebackers & safeties. Our corners (Jack & E-Dog) played stellar by turning just about everything back inside -- just as they were supposed to do. It was good to see our defensive players swarming to the ball. One of the parents, Richard T., has done a great job posting hi-res pictures after each game -- there's one where you can see the ball carrier trying to get away from Joe, while three other Saints defensive players were in the foreground attacking hard. That's great to see! It's one of those shots that shouts, "If one doesn't get you, the other three are gonna...You got no place to go but down!" .

There were also some big hits in the game. Loved hearing the crack of pads! We've been telling the defense all year the secret to football: If you hit hard, it makes the game more fun, hurt less & easier. They clearly get that now. The defense caused & recovered a fumble (great job, Bobbie & Nick!). The D-linemen were getting double teamed throughout the game, but took those blocks on & split them well. Joe & Caleb were solid in the middle attacking through blockers while Hiro & Scott filled the gaps well. In fact, the 3rd Grade Commissioner (Paul) commented that he couldn't believe that these players were only in 3rd grade with the kinds of plays they were making. He was especially impressed with Hiro's open-field tackling ability at speed. Well done, Hiro! There were many others as well and it was very impressive.

The Saints offense was solidly amazing. The Commissioner also commented that this game was probably the best game Chad's called this year in terms of plays. It showed. The Saints offensive line fired out and moved guys out of the way providing huge holes for the backs to run through. Every one of them (Sean, Stephen, Michael, Robert, Timmy & Brian) blocked with all they had -- that makes a huge difference for an offense. Austin had some great up the middle runs -- pounding away, going through/over people. Patrick made some great runs through traffic and really showed his speed well. Jack continued to astound & dumbfound. In his last major run at the end of the game, he must have broken at least 4 tackles from 5 players to get the last touchdown. Henry & Austin gave MONSTROUS blocks on the defense -- it was great to see & hear the progress as they "roach-blocked" the defensive players. "Roaching" is when one player hits another hard enough that the receiving player ends up with their arms & feet flailing in the air on the way down -- the quintessential/ideal football hit. Like they say, "Football isn't just a contact sport...it's a COLLISION sport." Oh yeah!

What a great season with the kids. It was very cool to see them grow into a team from where they were when they first started. The fundamentals were grasped -- running the ball with vision, blocking smart/hard with good technique, tackling (hit, wrap, drive & roll), reading plays, attacking, swarming, getting rid of blockers, focusing on the ball, doing their job on the team -- All in all, a great job by the players. And we're looking forward to next year!

Also, I do have to say that it was great working with Sean, Chad, John, Terry, Steve, Keith & Bob -- the other coaches/dad's on the team. We settled into a good rhythm of knowing what each of us had to focus on & offer for the development of the team as well as individuals. Since I helped out with the defense, I can say that I thought Terry's defensive scheme was perfect for this level. I'm not going to give away any secrets (there's next year!), but the individual jobs were clear & simple: beat the guy in front of you, find the ball & attack. It reminded me of something Coach Swider used to say at Wheaton College:

"Every offensive play is designed to score a touchdown -- every defensive player has an offensive player assigned to block them. So to stop an offensive play, someone on the defense needs to beat their offensive player."

Good stuff.

I'll post the game films as soon as they come available.

Thankful for the great season & "Go Saints!",

C.